NY Tech Community To Rally Against Proposed Internet Censorship Legislation

by Daniel Reynolds · January 13, 2012

Ever sing a Beyoncé cover for a YouTube video? You could soon be facing some serious jail time, according to the organizers of NY Tech Meetup. In the coming weeks, Congress is going to vote on the Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA) and its companion, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). If passed, this legislation would redefine copyright infringement and give government and corporations unprecedented control over the definition of internet censorship. So what is NY Tech doing in protest? Rallying!!

While NYTM is not a fan of copyright infringement, it believes such legislation favors the lobbying power of large record companies, and will almost certainly “discourage innovation, limit investment, and hurt the economic future” of New York’s emerging tech businesses.

In response, the group is organizing a rally on January 18, from 12:30 p.m. until 2:00 p.m., outside the offices of Senators Charles Schumer and Kirstin Gillibrand (780 Third Avenue at 49th Street), and they want you to come! Sign the online promise to attend HERE. Bring your friends, your lunching co-workers, or your whole social network by tweeting: I’ll be at the Emergency NY Tech Meetup on January 18 to stop SOPA and PIPA. Join us: http://nytm.org/sos #nytmSOS

Remember, that hashtag is: #nytmSOS

The rally calls to mind last November’s protest of SOPA by Tumblr, when the blogging site put black bars across all their text, photos, and content in order to raise awareness of this Act’s consequences for the online community. See our previous article HERE.

January 18, 12:30 pm, outside the offices of Senators Charles Schumer and Kirstin Gillibrand, 780 Third Avenue at 49th Street. More information HERE.